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It would have been comical, but it made me feel cheap and used. I looked to Lucy who had zeroed in on the offensive Peyton with what could only be described as a challenge. I winked at her, hoping to ease the rising tension.
Finally, I cleared my throat. “Thanks ladies.”
“Thankyou, Jake…” they unanimously twittered.
Lucy began walking toward me but paused.
“…the way he looked at the chick that was taking pictures.”
“…Iknow. We’re way hotter than her.”
Quickening my step, I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Every con has a group or two like that. Ignore them, Luce.” Her eyes softened at the nickname, something I’d noticed when I used it last night for the first time.
“I don’t know how you do it…” she conceded. “You better get to your panel so you’re not late.”
“Ok. See you after work, yeah?” I offered her a reassuring smile and was met with a lopsided one.
“You got it. Oh, and Jake?”
“Hmm?”
She kept her voice low. “Maybe later I can squeeze your bicep too…”
“I was thinking you could squeeze something else…”
Meryl appeared like a perfectly timed cock block. “You’re going to be late, Jake.”
“How could I be late when I have you to rely on?”
She gave me the side eye and then smiled.
Deflection. It worked every time.
The panel consistedof Lauren, Liam, Rodney and myself. My hackles were raised for a split second when we all took our seats and settled in. The last time the four of us were in a similar situation, Lucy had inadvertently become a target.
I told myself to relax. Panels were a hell of a lot different than televised shows. And more often than not, the emcee was chill and also a fellow fan.
The conversation started off with Rodney and for the last twenty minutes or so, he had been discussing his character’s arc, what it was like to be a newcomer, and how many of the stunts he performed himself.
Intermittently, the rest of us would jump in, augmenting the conversation with our own recollections and anecdotes.
“Now, Jake,” the interviewer acknowledged, “you’ve always been in great shape for this role.” The audience went crazy at that. “Was the training for this film much different than the previous ones? Tell us a little bit about your regimen. Was it all chicken breasts and creatine?” He laughed, but sadly he was on point.
“The training wasn’t much different in regards to the time put in at the gym, but Bob Moore—the director—he wanted Koil to look like a beast in this film.” I cut my attention to the audience, addressing them. “So yeah, my diet changed a bit; high protein and intense weight training was the key.” Delving too deep into the details wasn’t anything anyone wanted to hear, so I made light of it. “It’s all fun and games until you have to set an alarm to eat small meals in the middle of the night, guys.”
My phone, which was in my front pocket, buzzed with a notification. Assuming it was a text, I ignored it as the conversation shifted into the dynamic between Liam and myself.
“It’s no secret that you and Liam are friends,” the man continued. “It’s hard to fake good chemistry. Do you think it ultimately helped your on-screen relationship?”
Liam answered as my phone buzzed three times consecutively. I really needed to turn off my notifications.
Scooting closer to me, Liam swung an arm over my shoulder and patted me on the chest. “Jakey and I have great chemistry!” Laughter echoed throughout the space, but he pressed on. “Yeah, I mean, we’ve known each other forever. Hell, welivetogether and we work together. So, if that doesn’t show on screen, then we’re pretty shitty at being friends.”
We all laughed at Liam’s eloquent reasoning.
“Ok, this question is for all of you. How do each of you prepare for your roles?”
That was a loaded question. Lauren answered first, and by the time it was my turn, I had another five hits on my phone.
